USA - Key Biscayne to Key West, Goodbye America

Time is passing, and we need to start moving out of the Hurricane Box as it’s already June, and that’s the shoulder month before things start hotting up.

Bill Baggs Park still manages to enthrall me with their numerous Lizards and Cranes, both so well camouflaged.

Boaters Grill in Bill Baggs Park on the banks of our No Name Harbor.

Nicholas has eventually installed his Lathe and first project is to fix and make repairs to our Genoa furler. Karen and Duane on Sojourn might remember our trip to Long Island and visit to a Machine Shop….That was for our Staysail Furler, Nicholas is now doing the same job on his Lathe for our Genoa.

Replacing the motor on the Staysail too

Whilst Nicholas worked long hours in the sun, replacing the Furler Motor, bearings, O-rings, and other stuff, I was out sourcing and collecting parts that we needed for further repairs on Meshugga when we get to Guatemala. (Not to mention my daily trips to UPS to collect our Gazillion Amazon packages).

Part was fun was that I got to ride the Miami MTA busses and the Metro Rail system. Sometimes it took a long time, but far cheaper with a Day Pass of $5,50 as opposed to every Uber ride costing around $40.

This was an awesome tree at the Bus Stop opposite UPS, where I cycle to and leave my bicycle. Looks like a bunch of kids got to it with paint.

My KeyBiscayne MTA Bus

Most busses ran on time, except when we had heavy rain. Unfortunately that messed up a couple of my days travels, with me missing connections. But I had my iPhone with a downloaded book, and my AirPods, and was happy to spend the time in Transit, rather than spend more than a few hundred dollars on Uber over the days I was out.

A major change over point is Brickell in Miami, where I was able to connect on busses to everywhere, or use the Metro Train, and then a further bus.

Metro Trains run every few minutes

Arrival of the Metro Train.

Inside the Metro, whilst looking spartan, it was spotlessly clean and never full

We left Key Biscayne on Saturday 10 June, firstly motoring across the bay to Matheson Henderson Marina which always has the best Diesel prices, and when you’re spending over a $1000 in Diesel, it matters.

It was then a trip south down the Intercostal Waterway of Miami to the North end of Key Largo where we anchored overnight in the shallows.

Sunday, a late morning/midday start whilst we waited for winds to fill in, and we exited the Intercostal at the Broad Creek Miami University Research Channel into the Atlantic Ocean. As time passed, the wind veered (as predicted and hoped for), and increased in strength so that we had a great sail south to Key West. Clocking over 8 knots and often over 9 knots putting us ahead of our overnight schedule, even though we reefed our Genoa to slow us down.

After a chat, and given that we’d entered Key West a few times, we decided to push on, and not wait for dawn, and we entered the Key West channel at 5am in pitch dark. It was straight forward with all navigation lights exactly where they should be, and we anchored by 5.30am, still dark. It was then time for bed, especially for Nicholas who had been up and awake for over 24 hours.

Monday, we had a list of items to get done. One of which was get our Propane tanks filled. I remembered that the Shell garage (now Orien), had a Propane filing station.

We went ashore at the Key West Yacht Club with our electric bikes, the cart, 3x 10kg (22Lb) Propane tanks and shopping bags. With new Owners at the Garage, the Employee filling our tanks did not know how to do it, as we have the latest Propane tank technology tanks, and Nicholas had to give them a lesson on how to do it. Success, Yay!

A visit to Customs (Border Protection) was next as we need a Departure/Clearance Document from the USA. The document is universally known as a Zarpe, for our entrance to our next country. No photos, as that’s not good protocol!

Lastly a quick shop at Winn Dixie for Fresh Fruit and Veg for the Trip.

Tuesday, we went ashore sightseeing;

A trip on our bikes to the southernmost point in continental USA.

We saw wild chicken everywhere 

Some sights around Key West

The obligatory tourist souvenir shops

An interesting park full of statues of everyone who made a impact on Key West, this one is the notable Ernest Hemingway 

Made me think of my friend Karen Pakkala, who makes beautiful sea glass jewelry 

Next stop was Mallory Square, unfortunately too early for the sunset festivities. The tall mast in the background is Meshugga

It’s Taco Tuesday, from a Food Truck, and then back to Meshugga for onboard Tacos and Sunset Drinks

Wednesday morning, it’s a slow morning, and we’ll get going soon as it’s a 4-5 day sail to Guatemala. 

Today will be light winds and we’ll sail directly south to cross the Gulf Current. Once we close Cuba, we’ll pick up the counter current and we’ll then sail along the north Cuban coast until the west end of Cuba, and then cross the Gulf Current to Cancun Mexico. Thereafter it’s south along the coast of Mexico, and Belize to Livingstone, Guatemala where we’ll cross the bar into the Rio Dulce.

Our intended route.

 

USA - Miami, Maintenance, Repairs and Stocking Up

We are hanging around Key Biscayne, Miami, either just off Crandon Marina or No Name Harbor for ease of access to get ashore. Nicholas is Very busy every day with issues of Meshugga which require attention.

Just before we arrived, our Davit to lift the dinghy stopped working, and he’s had to source, buy and replace the Hydraulic system. Job done.

We had a great view of the Starlink Launch from Cape Canaveral, my first sighting of a Spaceship/Rocket launch! From our Anchorage inside No Name Harbor.

Both our Furlers for the Genoa and StaSail have stopped working. Motors are old and burnt out. Unfortunately, Lagoon Catamarans are built in France and we’ve had to import the motors as they’re not available in USA. And as he was taking the Furlers apart to fit new Motors, he’s doing a Major Service and Replacement of all Bearing, O-rings etc so we should once done get another 10 years of good service out of the Furlers.

Just to add to our problems, our Starboard engine stopped working with the Alarms going wild. Having got a Volvo Service Technician out with his Diagnostic Computer, we were lucky to find we only required a new Battery, and new Outlet Muffler box and flange. Job Done, and Engine working again!

Slowly we are making headway in getting Meshugga ready to make the trip from Miami to Guatemala.

We have a few more urgent packages arriving with much needed spares, and we await our Liferaft from the Servicing agent.

Meshugga is now 10 years old, (we have had her for 7 years), and there have been quite a few major Repairs and Replacements needed, and best we stock up now in USA with Spares as to do so in Guatemala is more expensive, plus Courier Fees, Import Duty and Sales Tax!

I have kept busy with either helping Nicholas (as his sidekick) with fetching tools, and with the my daily cycle into Key Biscayne Village to collect packages, and necessary Victualing required, either online or at the local excellent Winn Dixie Supermarket.

My E-bike with Cart fully laden with packages! I look like an Arriving Refugee.

Nicholas opening one of our many packages

Sometimes I have to return packages and on occasion it’s to FedEx, which is located in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel here in Key Biscayne. Beautiful gardens and buildings, and I was really impressed with this Vending Machine in the Corridor.

Definitely My sort of place!

Kieran, Katie and Arden also joined us for a few days whist Connor was here, so it was great to have both our Sons together with us for the first time in a year.

Ardens Life jacket

With Arden, Katie and Kieran

With Connor, Arden and Kieran

Arden of course is too cute for words at almost 2 years old, and this was her first visit to Meshugga.

I think her highlight was driving Meshugga.

Fun with her magnetic building blocks, providing many hours of entertainment.

After they all left, we went for Another Covid Booster. Our 6th Shot! Hopefully it’ll give us some immunity as we continue to countries where Medical Care is not so easy to 

My latest project is to make/sew a new Boom cover for the Main Sail, as ours is beginning to disintegrate in the Sun as the Sunbrella Canvas is 10 years old.

The start of the new Boom Cover, sewing the Bolt Rope and Zipper.

USA - Florida, MAIMI, No Name Harbor, We’re back in the US of A…..

We arrived in Miami, checked-in with Customs and Immigration, and received our additional Lithium Batteries at Crandon Marina.

It was interesting to see the In Water Kite Boarding Lesson. 

We’ve done that, not my Cup of Tea….

In Black Point, our Hydraulic Motor for our Dinghy Davit stopped working. We have been able to put the dinghy down, but we cannot lift it. So at night we tie the dinghy in the water to Meshugga with Rope and Chain. 

Safety First, I took an Uber to Lifeline Liferaft Servicing in North Miami to have our Liferaft serviced, for our trip to Guatemala onwards.

We’re back in No Name Harbor Key Biscayne and love the walks on the well maintained paths

One of the many Lizards/Iguanas sunning themselves, and scurrying out of my way

Happy Birthday Nicholas

Busy No Name Harbor

My phone rang, and it was Leslie of Now and Zen calling. Once I answered, she said, “Look outside, I’m waving at you”.

How wonderful, we’ve not see Leslie and Ralph this or last year, as both have had medical issues keeping them in their home port Jacksonville, Florida.

We popped over for Sundowners and to say Hi.

Ralph on Now and Zen

Leslie’s son David Jones and Nicholas

Leslie and me

Bon Voyage to Now and Zen, they left early next morning, are on their way to Bahamas for a visit for the rest of the season.

So nice to have fresh Flowers aboard again

Wild life on the shore, Blue Crane and Green Iguana

My e-bike and cart ashore for trips to Winn Dixie and collecting packages

Grey Sunday, with awful weather, High winds and Rain Squalls

And we’re all having a lazy day

Connor reading

Sargasso weed flooding into No Name Harbor with the Westerly winds